❑Welcome to the Summary Page which describes the major New Features in the Central Station Monitoring module within MKMS Version 5.1.33.X Release.
•This New Features Table contains three columns of data relating to each of these New features:
1.Program Module(s) Affected - This column lists the specific modules that were improved.
2.Chapter Links - This column lists of the link(s) to the chapter(s) where the previous instructions, illustrations and explanations have been revised to reflect the program changes and/or enhancements.
3.Description of the Enhancement - A brief explanation of the new features, functions and enhancements that have been added in this release with links to all of the affected chapters and some related chapters, also.
❑Understanding the New features Chart:
•All of the Program Module(s) that are Affected are listed.
•The Chapter Links are provided for finding the instructions, illustrations, and details on the operation and usage of the new feature(s).
•A brief Description of the Enhancement is shown, sometimes with additional Chapter Links.
Program Module(s) Affected |
Chapter Links |
Description of the Enhancement |
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Displayed on a Widgets Dashboard - now included as part of the main MKMS Form - the new Widgets feature provides a User Specified selection of Information Snapshots - shown either as a tabular listing or a chart - that may be instantly updated with the most current information at the Click of a button. ▪More detailed information about these Central Station Monitoring related Widgets may be found within the chapters listed below: 1.Dispatched Alarms - Provides a list of the most recently Dispatched Alarms from your Central Station based on the selected Configuration Options. 2.Active Operator Skills - Displays a list of all of the Operator Skills sets which have been previously defined (see Operator Skills in the Central Station Monitoring section), and shows the Number (Count) and Names (Users) of Operator(s) who have logged into MKMSCS and may or may not currently be Processing Alarm Signals but have been assigned to those Operator Skills sets within the Operator Skills tab of the Employee Form. 3.Active Alarm Groups - Lists each Alarm Processing Group (Alarm Group) and the number (Count) of Operators (Users) currently available to process Alarm Signals for each of those Groups. 4.Top 5 Dealers - Displays the Alarm Count for up to 5 Alarm Dealers (which have occurred within the Date Range specified in Configuration Options). 5.Top 5 Alarm Groups - Lists up to 5 Alarm Processing Groups with the number of Alarm Signals received from the Subscribers assigned to each of those Groups - displayed as a Tabular List or Bar Chart, and based on the selected Configuration Options. |
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▪A new Search By Care Of field option is now available in the Search By Drop-Down Selection List . ▪Because of a conflict between MKMS and MKMSCS usage of Function Key Combinations, you will now Press the Alt+F2 function key combination in MKMSCS, to open the Telephone Number Search dialog. |
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The MKMSCS F1 function key now opens the latest version of MKMS Help Files directly from Micro Key Solutions™. ▪A Web connection is required for this functionality. |
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The Subscriber Information Form now offer a County field. ▪The Subscriber's County will now be available in the Sub Info (F2) Form within MKMSCS.
History - Click the new History Icon on the Subscribers Form to open that currently selected Subscriber's Universal Account History Form which provides a complete and immediate listing of Accounting Transactions (Sales, Receipts, Credits, and Rate Increases), Calls, Proposals, Service Requests, and Alarm History that exists for the currently selected Subscriber. |
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The revised Manual Signal (F7) dialog now provides a searchable Areas field (using the new Ellipse to open the Search Dialog with a Search By Choice of either the Area Number or Description) but still allows for a manual entry, if appropriate.
▪The Alarm Stack (default) Priority Level order may now be reset, as needed, by Clicking the Header Name (e.g., Priority, CSID, Time) that represents the order the current User wants. ▪The Alarm Stack Form has a new Default button which returns the sorted order of those Alarm Signals to the (default) Priority Level order. ▪The Alarm Stack may be re-sized and the system will remember that setting on a User by User basis. ▪A Zone Description and a Date/Time column (which replaces the old Time column) have been added to the Alarm Stack.
There is a new Subscriber has Other Signals On Hold feature presented when there are other signal(s) On Hold for the account an Operator is currently Processing an Alarm Signal. oThe Operator will be notified when there are additional Signals On Hold for the account for which she/he is starting to Process another Signal and may request (or refuse) to review them using the new Signals On Hold Form. |
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When Placing an Account on Test, the Operator may now manually enter a Signal ID and/or Zone which has not yet been predefined. |
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New settings for the General tab on Central Station tab of the User Options Form ▪On Hold Default (Minutes) - This is the default number of minutes MKMSCS will place the signal On Hold. oAn Operator may now increase this On Hold Default number up to the On Hold Maximum defined below (which may now be up to a maximum 720 minutes - 12 hours). ▪On Hold Max (Minutes) - This is the maximum number of minutes MKMSCS will allow an Alarm Signal to be placed On Hold. oAn Operator may increase the On Hold default number up to the number defined here (which may now be up to a maximum 720 minutes - 12 hours). |
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The Restrict Service Creation option on the Company Settings dialog on the Company tab of the User Options Form has expanded coverage: This setting now applies to both the MKMS and MKMSCS applications. ▪If the RestrictServiceCreation option is set to True ("T") when adding a new Service Request or entering a Quick Work Order, the User will need to confirm authorization to make this entry in both the MKMS and MKMSCS applications. |
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▪A new Comments field has been added to the Town Codes Form to provide a place to enter the reason(s) data was changed on this Form. ▪The revised Call List by Town Codes report dialog now provides a Preview tab and a Data View tab. ▪The revised Dealer Code Listing report dialog now provides a Preview tab and a Data View tab. ▪The revised Response Time report dialog now provides an Options, a Preview tab and a Data View tab. ▪The revised Subscribers with No Contract report dialog now provides an Options, a Preview tab and a Data View tab; with a new CSID column added to the reported data.. ▪The revised Call List by Town Code report dialog now provides an Options, a Preview tab and a Data View tab. |
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A new Check box field named Automated System has been added to the Action Plans Form ▪Check the box to indicate that the instructions (Action Steps) entered for this Action Plan can be run automatically by the Automated System Action Plans Service ("MKSASP"), and will be passively recorded in that Subscriber's History.
An Action Plan (along with an associated Alarm Condition Code) may now be identified for a specific Subscriber (in the new Action Plans tab on that Subscriber's Central Station Data Form) which specifies what should always be done when that Action Plan + Condition Code combination is received from any CSID defined for this Subscriber.
New Available Actions added to the Action Plans Form ▪Alarm History - When an Action Plan is directing an Operator, an entry identifying the Action Plan ID is inserted into the Alarm History Detail for that event. ▪Email Contacts - Choose this as an Action Step to indicate that the Operator will be required to Email the Contact. ▪Switch To Manual - Choose this as an Action Step to indicate that the Operator should exit from this Action Plan by Clicking the Switch to Manual button at the top of the Action Plans tab on the Signal Processing Form, or Press Ctrl+Shift+M ▪Information - Choose this as an Action Step to display Informational and/or Instructional data for the Operator (see the "Defining the Properties of an Action Step or a Response Step" section below for related information) ▪Conditional - Choose this as an Action Step to indicate that the Operator will be provided (up to) three selectable Options - each with its own Instructions and Action Step ➢Note: If an Action Plan was directing the Operator, once the Signal is retrieved following being Placed on Hold, the system will default to the Operator Guided Response method.
The RestartActionPlanfromOnHold company setting is initiated. ▪The default setting for this option is False ("F"). ▪For those companies which need it, setting this option to True ("T") in the Company Settings dialog accessible through the Company tab on the User Options Form will restart the Action Plan - that was in effect when an Alarm Signal was placed On Hold - when it is taken Off Hold - from the beginning.
The new Automated System Action Plans Service application provides an Action Plan Processing Engine which is used to execute a specific set of predefined instructions (Action Steps) in the background - with no Operator action required. ▪These Automated System Action Plan Action Steps will be performed for a Subscriber (executed only for the first matching case within the priority order listed below) when the Central Station Monitoring module receives a Signal and: 1.The Alarm Condition Code for that Signal has an Automated System Action Plan assigned to it, or 2.An Automated System Action Plan and designated Alarm Condition Code combination is assigned to the Alarm Dealer whose Subscriber transmitted that Signal, or 3.An Automated System Action Plan and designated Alarm Condition Code combination was entered in the Action Plans tab on the Central Station Data Form in which case, for any Signal with that combination transmitted by the Subscriber - regardless of which Subscriber Panel CSID sent it, or 4.The CSID Zone record which matches that Signal has an Automated System Action Plan assigned to it. ▪Typically, this feature will be used to Automate the Notification process when only the Subscriber, one of their People To Call, and/or their Alarm Dealer needs to know when a designated Alarm Condition Code was received at the Central Station. ▪The Action Steps performed for all of the Signals processed by the MKSASP application are stored in the Subscriber's Alarm History file. |
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The Mass Account Creation Form has a new "Fill to 'X' Characters " field that is used to set the mandatory length of the CSID. ▪This feature is used to set the total length of the CSID ▪Zeros will be inserted in front of the CSID characters, if required, to enforce the defined total length of the CSID. ▪If the default Zero ("0") is left unchanged, no CSID length control will be enforced. |
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▪The Password and Duress code(s) that are entered in the Central Station Data Form may now be up to 25 characters in length and contain numbers and letters. ▪Part - The Drop-Down Selection List in each field in the Part column on the Subscriber Panels section of the Central Station Data Form now selects from a list of Installed Equipment Codes specifically identified as being a Control Panel. ▪Documents - Click this new button on the Subscriber Panels section of the Central Station Data Form to view a sub-menu from which to Choose one of the following: i.Instructions - This option displays the Arm/Disarm instructions for the Control Panel identified in the Part field (see the "Entering a new Subscriber Panel CSID" section above) by selecting the appropriate Installed Equipment Code for that Panel. ii.Documents - This option displays the attached Documents for the selected Part which is the Installed Equipment Code for that Panel. |
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On the Panel Test Information Form, once you've set the Order of the Panel Test Information List, you may now Drag and Drop the Column Header that determines the Order to the first position (or any position) on the Panel Test Information List. |
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The new Can Place Accounts On Test? option on the Employee Form's Security tab now allows you to designate which specific Employees may Place an Account on Test. |
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Click this new Printer Icon |
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Any number of Additional CSID Restoral Information records may now be entered in the CSID Zone, the CSID Zone Override, the Panel Zone and Panel Zone Override Forms. ▪These Additional CSID Restoral Information records will be included when printing a Subscriber Information Form for the Subscriber. |
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The revised Online/Offline Report now offers a Display Chart? Check box option. ▪When All, or Dealers Only is the selected Report For option, the User may Check this box to include a Bar Chart of the data (preceding the listed data) on the report. |
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The new Unverified Zones feature and it's related Zone Test Verification Report will become available if the VerifyZones option is set to True ("T") in the Company Settings dialog available in the Company tab of the User Options Form. ▪The CSID Zones Form has a new Zone Test? Check Box field which identifies which Zones will be tracked by the Zone Test Verification Report and the Unverified Zones Form. ▪The new Unverified Zones dialog is used to (re-)set the Test Status of an Account (Subscriber Panel CSID) that has been Placed On Test by a Technician working on that system at the Subscriber's premises that has one or more of these special Zone Test designations identified in that Account's CSID Zones Form. ▪In addition to a new Unverified Zone button on the Subscriber Panels section of the Central Station Data Form, the Unverified Zones dialog is also accessible from the Central Station Maintenance Menu in MKMS, and on the Miscellaneous Menu within the Sub Info (F2) Form in MKMSCS. ▪The new Zone Test Verification Report dialog allows you to view a selectable list of those Accounts and the specially designated Zone Test CSID Zones which have been Placed On Test, and see the current Test Status of each. ▪The Web Tech Service system's Zone Testing section on the Work Order Form displays these specially designated Zone Test CSID Zones which have been Placed On Test, either within MKMSCS or using the On Test Panels section within Web Tech itself. |
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The revised Subscriber Information Forms dialog now allows you to Choose one Subscriber for this report by using the standard Subscriber Search dialog instead of a Drop-Down Selection List (which displayed a list length that has proven to be unmanageable). ▪If the Events (O/C) option is chosen to include all of the Subscriber's supervised Opening & Closing Events, when an Event relates to a specific Area, that Area information will also be included. ▪For Communication Module users, the Notification List information that is defined for any CSID Zone will now be included on the Subscriber Information Forms. |
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The Columns of Alarm Signal History Data may now be relocated, as desired (on a User by User basis). ▪Using the standard Windows® Drag & Drop method,Click on a Column's Header Name and move it to the desired location.. ▪Once Columns are relocated, the Signal History dialog must be Closed and then Re-Opened to save the new Column positions. ▪If an Action Plan was directing the Operator, the Signal History Detail will include an "Action Plan <ID#> initiated" entry.
Geo-Tagging - Alarm Signal packets that include Latitude and Longitude information sent to a Receiver that has the ability to process that information will now be stored in the Alarm History. ▪This Geo-Tag information may be viewed by Clicking the Map button on the Alarm Signal section of this Form.
CSIDs - Using the Drop-Down Selection List provided in the new CSIDs field on the Alarm History Form, you may now Choose the appropriate CSID (or the new option of [All]) for the Selected Subscriber. |
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The significantly revised Dealer Access Module's Client Interface now includes: ▪A total User Interface Update ▪The Addition of a Call Order function. ▪Medical Information dialog now supports Ctrl+F11 to reveal the Client's hidden information. ▪The Application is now Resizeable. ▪Time and Date is displayed at the bottom of th screen. |
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The new Conditions Call Form available the Subscriber Panel(s) area of the Central Station Data Form now allows you to identify a Condition Code which, when sent by the Selected Subscriber Panel(s) CSID, will utilize a customized People To Call List that was previously defined as such in the CSID Zones Form. |
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If you are using the UL® Version of MKMSCS, and the Operator is processing an Alarm Signal for a UL® account, and she/he had to perform a Dispatch: ▪An Internal Timer will be started automatically as soon as that Dispatch is recorded. ▪An Investigated button will then become available next to the other Dispatch Contact buttons. ▪When the Investigator arrives at the premises of that UL® account, the Operator will Click the Investigated button and briefly record the results in the Investigator Arrival dialog. ▪When the Investigator Arrival dialog OK button is Clicked, the Internal Timer will be stopped, the elapsed time calculated, and the results noted in the Alarm History Detail. |
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The Pass Codes list for a Subscriber - accessible by Pressing F5 while Processing an Alarm Signal - now lists all of the Pass Codes defined within the Global Call List (i.e., People To Call Members, and the Alternate Call List and Dealer Call List assigned to a CSID in the Subscriber Panels section of the Central Station Data Form). |
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While Processing an Alarm, the Operator may now (re-)open the Temp Notes dialog - even if no active Temp Note is in effect - by Pressing Shift+F5. |
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Off Test Warning is the new process whereby a Technician is automatically notified via an Email (using the Communications Module) that an Account - which she/he had previously put On Test - is about to come Off Test. |
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The Scheduled Reports dialog - used by the Communications Module - has an Options item added to the Open/Close Report selection dialog to include Zone Descriptions in that report. |
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to create a simple listing of the